


Comfort to Love

by gmbficwriting



Category: Fallout: New Vegas
Genre: Comfort, Drunken Kissing, F/M, Friendship/Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-22
Updated: 2020-11-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:49:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27669131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gmbficwriting/pseuds/gmbficwriting
Summary: What happens when Courier Six walks in to the revolving lounge after a long day of negotiations and runs into a drunk Boone, grieving for his wife all over again after dreaming of their life together?
Relationships: Craig Boone/Female Courier
Comments: 4
Kudos: 13





	Comfort to Love

**Author's Note:**

> I know canonically that Boone hangs around New Vegas cause he doesn't want to let go of the city he met Carla in and there are no romance options in New Vegas but I always thought it would have been a nice touch if you could eventually help Boone through his grief and romance him. He's my favorite companion (aside from Rex of course) in New Vegas and this fic has been floating around in my head for days now. Finally had time to sit down and write this. Hope you enjoy.
> 
> It does include alcohol use and light sexual situations.

As I stepped into the Lucky 38 I was surprised by how quiet it was. Normally at this time of day all my companions were mingling or fighting on the casino floor. 

“Yes Man, where is everyone? I know I wasn’t gone long enough for them all to have killed each other.” I direct my question at the securitron closest to me as I begin removing the chest piece of my leather armor, walking to the elevator to head to the penthouse.

“They have all decided to leave for the night. Arcade has taken Rex to visit with the King and gone to the old Mormon fort with Lily and ED-E. Cass, Veronica, and Raul went to the Atomic Wrangler and Boone retired for the night.”

“Alright thanks Yes Man.” As the elevator doors close I begin the process of winding down from having been at Camp McCarran negotiating trade deals with the NCR all day. Even though I kicked them out of the seat of power in the Mojave, killed Caesar and Lanius, and have an army of securitrons that can down their men in a matter of seconds they still think they can out play me.

As the elevator reached the penthouse I stripped out of the rest of my armor, choosing to change into one of the nightgowns I had found during my travels before the second battle for the dam. SInce everyone was gone, or in Boone’s case asleep I didn’t bother with wearing something more appropriate as I headed for the revolving lounge.

We kept our best liquor there and after the arguments with the General in charge of negotiations I could do with a stiff drink. Or ten.

___________________________

Stepping from the elevator I was too caught up in my thoughts to hear the small, yet telltale signs that someone was already in the lounge. Rounding to my right I went directly for the bourbon we had stashed behind the counter. Not finding it in its normal place I cursed Cass under my breath and began moving to the left side of the lounge, hoping we had simply placed it somewhere else.

“I’ve got the bourbon.” Boone’s voice made me jump as I whipped around to face him. He was slouched on one of the bar stools, clutching a shot glass as if his life depended on it.

“Boone! Yes Man said you had retired for the night. I assumed that meant you went to sleep.”

“Tried. Nightmare.”

“So you came to try and drown it out? Boone, I thought you worked past this dependence on alcohol.”

“Worse than normal.”

“Well then why don’t you talk me through it? It’s helped in the past when we didn’t have anything in our packs.” I offered, moving to sit on the stool next to him. I slowly pried the glass from his hand before pouring myself a glass.

“It was about Carla.”

“When she was taken or when you spotted her through your scope?”

“It started out good, just us living in Novac, not really caring what others thought…” As he trailed off I saw him eye the bottle again and moved it out of his reach. Sighing, he began speaking again. “Then it was the day I learned of her disappearance. Telling Manny and seeing that slight, smug smile. Hunting her kidnappers down, then..”

“Saving her and your child from a life of slavery.”

“Murdering.”

“Boone, you know as well as I do that if you had done any different, whether that was walking away and marching into that camp she would have been tortured and broken. Your child would have been born a slave or ripped from her arms to be raised as a legionarie. What you did was save them from that life. It may not have been the fate you wanted to give them but you kept them from a worse one. Please stop beating yourself up over this.”

“Why should I? I should have been there when they came, I should have put a bullet in every one of them and Jeannie May. Should have fought to the death for her.”

“And you would have if they didn’t come when you were on shift and from your blind. It was not your fault.”

“Yes it was!” Boone yelled as he lurched from his seat to tower over me and cage me against the counter. His sunglasses had been removed and I could see the built up tears he refused to shed. “And you sure as hell don’t help looking like that!”

Confused by his last statement I stayed quiet but raised an eyebrow to try and get him to elaborate.

“You look so damn similar to her. Same hair, same eyes. The only thing that kept me from calling you Carla when I’d wake up for the day or from nightmares was your armor and your rifle. And right now I’m drunk and without those you look too much like her.”

“I’ll go change then. And I’ll make an arrangement with the king to have his hair dresser change the style and color of my hair.”

“No, you don’t have to do that. It wouldn’t be fair to change who you are, no matter how superficially, just to make me forget. Just... Let me try one thing. If I can find one way to always remember you are different from her then it should help.”

“Alright, do what you need to do.” I had been expecting him to walk away, maybe go and try to learn more about me from the settlers in Goodprings or Primm. iNstead I found myself lifted from the stool and placed on the counter with Boone standing between my legs.

“Boone what are you…” I was cut off when he hesitantly placed his lips on mine. Too shocked to move I simply sat there as he slowly grew more bold. Finally I gave in and let myself kiss him back. I wouldn’t let this go past a kiss, no matter how badly I wished it would.

I lost myself in the kiss until I felt his hand begin to trail up my thigh. Breaking away from him I gently pushed him back and hopped off the counter.

“No, Boone you are drunk. I won't take advantage of your state just to fulfill a fantasy I have had since meeting you. Go to the presidential suite, grab some fixer and a sedative from Arcade’s stash and go to bed. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Pushing past him I quickly made my way to the elevator, planning on engrossing myself in the  _ Wasteland Survival Guide  _ I had been meaning to read.

____________________________

It had been a few hours since I had returned to my suite from the lounge when I heard the elevator open above me. Thinking it was just Rex coming to join me for the night as he always did I stayed on my couch and continued reading. When I did not hear the clicks of metallic claws, but instead the steady footsteps of booted feet coming down the stairs I looked up and was surprised to see Boone standing at the foot of them.

“Did you need to talk some more?” I asked as I marked my place in my book and stood from my position.

“Yes and no,” was his elusive answer as he looked around the suite.

“Yes Man, could you lock the elevator for everyone else and discontinue listening until I use the mainframe?” Perhaps he simply wanted privacy to vent his grief.

“You got it boss.” Yes Man replied before I saw his interface disappear from the mainframe.

“Alright Boone, no one is listening and no one can come up until I unlock the elevator. What’s up?”

“I wanted to apologize. I shouldn’t have blown up like that.”

“You were drunk and still grieving. I forgave you as soon as the words were out of your mouth. I’m just worried about you. You made so much progress after we saved Bitter Springs and I don’t want you to lose that.”

“ I know. But something you said down there. I thought about it after I got some fixer.”

“What did I say that you needed to think about?” Damn it, I was hoping he was  **too** drunk to remember what I said after he kissed me.

“That you didn’t want to take advantage of my state. That you had a fantasy involving me since we met.”

“You don’t need to think too much about it , Boone. You’re a good looking guy and I’d have to be dead not to notice that and fantasize a little but I wont do anything about it. You still love Carla and I don’t want you to think I’m trying to take her place. Especially after you told me I look like her.”

“So if I were to approach you, sober and wanting to do something about this fantasy of yours you’d turn me away?”

“Truthfully? I don’t know if I could. I’ve come to care for you deeply Boone. You’ve always had my six and helped me through killing Benny. If you were to approach me about it, if you were to start kissing me right now, I don’t think I would stop you. But I also wouldn’t be able to stop my feelings for you from growing as well.”

“Are you more worried about hurting me or me hurting you?”

“Both. I don’t want you to do something you’d regret that would make you distance yourself from me or me from you. You’re my best friend in this damned wasteland and I don’t want to lose that.” I can hear the tears in my own voice as I look out the windows overlooking the strip. I feel more than hear Boone step closer to me before he’s turning my head to face him.

“You won't lose me.” The look in his eyes tells me he’s being truthful, that even if he were to regret sleeping with me for one reason or another he would never leave my side as long as I needed him.

“What are you saying?” I need to be sure I’m understanding him fully. I can’t afford to make a fool of myself, or make him even more of a target for my enemies unnecessarily.

“I’m saying I want to stay with you tonight. If it works out then no harm done. If one of us regrets it we will still be here for eachother.”

I stand stock still as he lowers his head to mne, moving slowly enough that I can pull back if I wish. I smell no alcohol on his breath and know he’s doing this because he wants to, not because he has an inhibitor in his system. Deciding to be bold I close the last few centimeters between us and meet his kiss.

The kiss is gentle at first, testing. But then it grows in intensity the longer our lips are pressed together. Finally we have to separate to breath and pull away slowly.

“Boone, you don’t have to…” I give him one more chance to back out. If what we are doing moves any further I won’t be able to stop myself from giving myself over to him, fully.

“I want to,” his voice is huskier than normal from the lack of oxygen and he moves his hands to rest on my hips. “I just don’t want to hurt you.”

“You won't,” I know I’m lying through my teeth and I can see in his eyes he knows it too. Pulling him closer I kiss him again and begin leading us towards my bed. As the back of my knees hit the bed I grow bold once again. “Do whatever you want.”

With a low growl Boone pushes me to the bed and joins me. “Don’t say something you might regret.”

“Never.”

___________________

“Sorry to interrupt your sleep boss but the rest of your friends are a bit panicked since you didn’t join them for breakfast.” Yes Man’s voice breaks through the fog of sleep that surrounds me and I slowly open my eyes to see Boone still laying beside me in my bed.

“Tell them I’m fine, Yes Man, just exhausted from the negotiations yesterday. I’ll be down later.”

“Will do boss. Should I mention Boone’s up here?”

“Shit, I didn’t think about that. Boone?”

“Don’t care. Tell them whatever you want.” He grumbles, burying his head under his pillow to try and drown out ur voices and get as much sleep as he can.

“You can tell them he came up to check on me. Let them draw whatever conclusions they want. We’ll deal with it later.”

“You got it.”

“Oh and Yes Man?”

“Yes?”

“Don’t let them up here.”

“The elevator’s still locked down.”

“Good.” After finishing my conversation with Yes Man I turn to my side to try and fall asleep again when Boone’s arm comes to rest on my side.

“You know at least Arcade will figure out what happened,” he says as he pulls me closer to him.

“What do you want to tell them when he blurts it out?”

“Well we can tell him the full truth or claim it was a drunken affair. I don’t care which.”

“Hmm, I’m too tired to think about this anymore. Let’s just get some more rest and deal with it later.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

**Author's Note:**

> Yes I like to end my fics like this, just incase I get a bug to continue on later down the road. Sorry if this bothers you.


End file.
